Davis Will Revamp Controversial Rights Panel

Davis City Council members have shut down the city’s Human Relations Commission.

The move comes just a few weeks after former Police Chief Jim Hyde said the commission was a big reason why he decided to resign earlier this month.

The controversy involves allegations that city police officers engage in racial profiling. Commission chairwoman Cecilia Escamilla-Greenwald says the commission deals with issues that are unpleasant but necessary.

"Some of these steps necessarily involved controversy but I believe that the City of Davis is stronger for having the HRC than it was previously."

But City Councilman Ted Puntillo says the commission is delving too far into activism and needs a cooling off period.

"The commission went in a bad direction. It’s become the issue instead of dealing with issues so we want it back but we want it going in a good direction, okay? We tried to work with this commission. It didn’t work and it’s harming our city."

The council voted 4-to-1 to remove the commission’s 11 members and ask them to reapply for their posts in the fall.